LEWIS AND CLARK IN BLACKFEET COUNTRY

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LEWIS AND CLARK IN BLACKFEET COUNTRY JULY 26-29
2006
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WHEN IT ALL BEGIN
For the Blackfeet tribal representation and
formal involvement in signature events, it really
begin at the national observance of the Lewis
Clark Bicentennial at the home of President
Thomas Jefferson during the week of January 18,
2003. For me it was also one of the coldest days
of my life in sub-freezing temperatures due to
not bringing our winter gear back east.
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The Blackfeet delegation of course was honored to
be there but we were not overwhelmed of the
significance of this signature event and some of
us still had a bad taste in our mouths of the L
C experience.
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We also did expect to meet one of Captain Clarks
relatives at Monticellos west lawn after 200
years.
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So even after 200 years the Blackfeet were still
hospitable and we invited him to come back and
visit us.
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The title of our local event of Lewis Clark in
Blackfeet Country offers our tribe the chance to
reflect on their interaction with us after 200
years, which was the only violent encounter they
had during the whole expedition.
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More importantly, we hope that the symposium will
provide opportunities for our tribal members and
the public participating to join us as we
reflect and comment on the impacts of the
expedition to our tribe and to the first
Americans in general.
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What I hope the symposium will reaffirm is that
after 200 years the ancestors of our tribe and
your tribes from Europe are in more ways the
same, but we are different in our culture,
worldview, government, land, language, and
spirituality.
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The symposium is in the beginning stages of
finalizing its agenda that will be filled with
presenters, panel discussions, tours of the
reservation, Lewis Clark enthusiasts,
re-enactors, and activities for the children. The
symposium site has been changed from the
Meriwether campground to Browning. We will be
using the mini arbor at the Plains Indian Museum
and Blackfeet Community College facilities for
some of the presentations. The agenda will be
finalized in early May and we will begin to
disseminate it through the various outlets.
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On July 27th, we will commemorate the 200 year
encounter with Captain Lewis and his men with the
young Blackfeet men. A traditional spiritual
ceremony will be held at the site weather
permitting.
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